Solomon Islands PM Sogavare Faces Motion of No Confidence After Unrest

Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare says the opposition is responsible for the violent protests in the capital of Honiara, as he faces a motion of no confidence before parliament after the recent unrest. “The call for me to resign and this motion, sir, was made against the backdrop of an illegal attempted coup,“ said Sogavare. “I cannot in good conscience resign in the forces of evil.” Sogavare has blamed “other powers” for anti-China riots as Australian troops were deployed to help quell the unrest. Divisions over the Pacific nation’s diplomatic recognition of China over Taiwan in 2019 was “the only issue” behind the conflict, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Unfortunately, it is influenced and encouraged by other powers,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to name names, we’ll leave it there -- we know who they are.” The spat is centered around two main islands about 110 kilometers (70 miles) apart with a history of clashing: Guadalcana